Tasmania, December 20, 2008 - January 17, 2009

Launceston Carnival - December 28, 2008

Malaysian Olympian takes Tassie glory

Malaysian Olympian Rizal Tisin justified the interest shown in him by organisers
of the Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals when he captured the Launceston Carnival
held on the indoor Silverdome velodrome. The 24 year-old, riding from a 70 metre
handicap for the 2000 metre final, defeated emerging Ulverstone junior Luke
Ockerby (90m) and 2006 Launceston Wheel champion Ben Grenda (90m).

Scratchman Glenn O'Shea from Victoria flashed home for fourth, but could not
get around the trio of riders in front of him over the closing stages.

Earlier this year Tisin represented Malaysia at the Beijing Olympic Games where
he and teammates, Azizulhasni Awang and Josiah Ng were knockout by France in
the opening round of the team's sprint. Malaysia had finished seventh overall.
Earlier in the year at the UCI World Track Championships in Manchester, England,
Tisin finished fifth in the one kilometre time trial.

The Launceston Wheelrace featured six qualifying heats and Tisin was the last
of those to advance to the final. In his heat, Tisin captured the imagination
of everyone trackside with a classy win over Grenda, local Launceston rider
Clay Murfett (120m) and the luckless Tom Robinson, who just missed a finals
berth.

Former scratchman Jame Carney from USA has returned for another assault on
the Tasmanian Carnivals, but handicapper Gareth Atkins has lifted the dual Olympian
out to 50m over 2000m. Carney qualified for the final through the fourth heat
and is in obvious good form after also qualifying for the Latrobe Wheel final
on Boxing Day.

Once the field of 18 finalists had been determined, word from knowledgeable
tracksiders leaned towards Clay Murfett, Ben Grenda, Victorian Adrian Hanson
and Luke Ockerby as the new champion. But they underestimated the sprinting
ability of Tisin, who is a rider of pure class...and speed.

Tisin had finished third in the AJ Clarke & Sons Handicap, the main support
race to the Latrobe Wheelrace on Boxing Day, while his teammates Edris Yunos
and Azizulhasni Awang were beaten into third place in the tri-country team's
sprint against New Zealand and Australia.

At Launceston Tisin was replaced by Junaldi Nasir, while Josiah Ng came in
at the expense of Yunos and the team improved its rating to second behind the
Aussie trio of Scott Sunderland, Shane Perkins and Jason Niblett.

Awang - who was second in the AJ Clarke two days prior - won the Launceston
Lightning Handicap over 1000m, while scratch race winners included Glenn O'Shea,
Peter Loft, Jeremy Hills, Joel Stearnes and Dean Benedetti. O'Shea continued
that winning form into the A Grade elimination final.

The Women's Launceston Wheelrace produced yet another classy winner in Harriet
Kossman, riding from a 130m handicap. Kossman held off the challenge from Janelle
Smith (140m) and Miranda Laidlaw (150m).

Ace Victorian Shane Perkins is proving to be the best sprinter at the carnivals,
winning his second consecutive race in the UCI Series. He beat Scott Sunderland
and Jason Niblett on Boxing Day and at Launceston on Sunday night he relegated
Azizulhasni Awang and Sunderland to the minor placings.

Malaysian sprinting specialist Fatehah Mustapa (19) showed her versatility
by winning the women's A Grade Scratch and finishing fourth in the points score.

Victorian Jackson Law, younger brother of 2007 Latrobe Wheelrace winner Scott
Law, was second to Benson in the Launceston Wheelrace, but won the 1000 m Lightning
Handicap and both A Grade Scratch races in his age group.

The Tasmanian Christmas Carnivals continues over the next two nights in Devonport
Carnival before the time honoured Burnie New Year's Carnival and then the Hobart
on Sunday and St Helens on January 17.